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Up-and-coming squad takes Iowa PG Bennett Stirtz in CBS NBA mock draft

Bennett Stirtz is a polarizing figure in the 2026 NBA Draft. Is he as purely athletic and able to jump out of the gym as some of the other future first-round picks in the draft class? No.

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Is he arguably the most seasoned point guard who can step in and be an immediate plug-and-play pick for a team ready to contend? You absolutely could argue, yes, there.

After leading theIowa Hawkeyesto an unforgettable Elite 8 run in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Stirtz appears to be destined for the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, with it being just a matter of where. InCBS Sports' recent NBA mock draft, Stirtz is headed to the East Coast to join theCharlotte Hornets, a young and feisty team looking to contend soon.

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Round 1 - Pick 18

Charlotte Hornets:Bennett Stirtz, PG, Iowa

Stirtz is a highly skilled true point guard with an elite feel for the game. He's not an overwhelming athlete or defender, but he's a big-time shooter, ultra-reliable and always in the right spots. Stirtz has an understanding of the game beyond his years. If Charlotte goes big at 14, they'll likely look for perimeter depth here with Coby White's upcoming free agency.- Adam Finkelstein, CBS Sports

Charlotte finished the 2025-26 NBA Season 44-38 overall, which saw them earn a spot in the NBA's play-in games, where they took down the Miami Heat before falling to the Orlando Magic.

The young roster is led by Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball, and Kon Knueppel, a trio of young stars that could allow Bennett Stirtz to come in and be a facilitator as well as play with not nearly as much pressure as he had on his shoulders commanding Iowa's offense.

Contact/Follow us@HawkeyesWireon X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage ofIowanews, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X:@rileydonald7

This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire:Up-and-coming squad takes Iowa PG Bennett Stirtz in CBS NBA mock draft

byAlpha World
in
May 23, 2026

Up-and-coming squad takes Iowa PG Bennett Stirtz in CBS NBA mock draft

Bennett Stirtz is a polarizing figure in the 2026 NBA Draft. Is he as purely athletic and able to jump out of the gym as some of the ot...
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Where does Bills' James Cook rank among NFL running backs in 2026?

TheBuffalo Billsare known for quarterback Josh Allen but running back James Cook is up there for the team, too.

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Cook signed afour-year extensionlast offseason worth $48 million. That average of his contract makes him tied as the running back with the 11th highest salary in the NFL heading into 2026.

Does Cook outrank that pay status? According to SleeperNFL, the answer is yes.

However, Bills Mafia might think he deserves to be higher than the ranking.

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Cook landed in the No. 8 overall spot in the outlet's running back list:

A big reason for thinking Cook is overlooked is his 1,621 rushing yards last season. That led the NFL in 2025, so thinking of a rank higher than eighth would be fair.

But with the quarterback league the NFL is, it simply is Allen's shine keeping Cook that low. Even so, Buffalo does not take Cook for granted.

Bills Wirewill continue to provide updates throughout the 2026 offseason.

This article originally appeared on Bills Wire:Where Bills' James Cook ranks among NFL running backs in 2026

byAlpha World
in
May 23, 2026

Where does Bills' James Cook rank among NFL running backs in 2026?

TheBuffalo Billsare known for quarterback Josh Allen but running back James Cook is up there for the team, too. Cook signed afour...
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See Trump's approval rating after winning week for Trump-backed candidates

PresidentDonald Trumphas historicallylow approval ratings, but some of hisbacked candidates prevailedin primary elections around the country this week.

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U.S.Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, notably partnered with a Democrat to force a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act last year. Trump and his allies have campaigned against him, and opponentEd Gallrein, a farmer and former Navy SEAL, nabbed the spot to be theGOP nominee in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District. A similar result played out for incumbentSen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, who was overtaken in votes by Trump-endorsed candidate Rep. Julia Letlow.

Despite the wins for Trump's candidates within the GOP, Trump remains broadly unpopular, and some are worried it could makeRepublicans more vulnerablein the midterm elections.

What is Trump'sapproval rating? Here is what to know:

More:Trump knocked off another Republican. Could his strategy backfire in midterms?

What isDonald Trump's approval rating?

Trump'sapproval ratinghas been net negative for over a year and has been fluctuating but trending more negative over the last several months. Here is Trump's average approval rating on May 22, according to aggregators:

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Polls show Trump has low approval on the economy

Polls out this week show approval of Trump's handling of the economy is in decline.

In aQuinnipiac University pollconducted May 14 - 18 among 1,106 registered voters (margin of error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points), 33% of respondents approve of the way Trump is handling the economy compared to 64% who disapprove. It's the lowest approval Trump has received on the issue across both terms, per the pollster.

Republicans are waning on their support for Trump's handling of the economy, according to anAssociated Press/NORC pollconducted May 14-18 among 1,117 U.S. adults. (The margin of error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.) Overall, 33% approve of his job on the economy compared to 67% who disapprove. Republicans give him a 63% approval on the economy, down from 78% at the beginning of Trump's second term.

Trump's approval rating overall was 37% in the AP/NORC poll and 34% in the Quinnipiac poll.

Contributing: Melina Khan, Zac Anderson, Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her onX (Twitter),Threads,BlueskyandTikTok.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Donald Trump approval rating low despite winning primary election week

byAlpha World
in
May 23, 2026

See Trump's approval rating after winning week for Trump-backed candidates

PresidentDonald Trumphas historicallylow approval ratings, but some of hisbacked candidates prevailedin primary elections around the co...
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Commanders OT Josh Conerly Jr. looks much different

Washington Commandersright tackle Josh Conerly Jr. had a rough start to his NFL career in 2025. After playing left tackle at Oregon, the 21-year-old Conerly was tasked with learning a new position in the NFL as a Week 1 starter. Making matters worse, Conerly's first three games came against Brian Burns (Giants), Micah Parsons (Packers) and Maxx Crosby (Raiders).

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There were some good and bad moments early for Conerly. That was the case for much of the first half of his rookie season. But Conerly, under the watchful eye of star left tackle Laremy Tunsil, continued to improve throughout his rookie season. It wasn't talked about nearly enough because of Washington's struggles as a team.

The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Conerly started all 17 games as a rookie. He played in 100% of theCommanders' offensive snaps.

We haven't heard much about Conerly this offseason. Tunsil received a new record-setting two-year extension and recently shared videos of him working out and preparing for the 2026 season. While Conerly hasn't shared those types of videos, the Commanders did, showing several players modeling the new (old) uniforms. Conerly was among those players.

What do you notice?

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Conerly looks much leaner heading into his second NFL season.

One of the knocks on Conerly in the pre-draft process was his play strength. Draft analysts felt he needed a little time to adjust his body and strength to the NFL. After all, he was only 21 when he was drafted. We saw his play improve throughout his first year. Now, Conerly looks different heading into Year 2.

Washington has a new offensive line coach in 2026. Darnell Stapleton was promoted from assistant offensive line coach to offensive line coach for two reasons: he's excellent at player development, and he understands the zone-blocking scheme that new offensive coordinator David Blough plans to install. Conerly, along with Tunsil, is an ideal fit for that scheme.

The Commanders may have struck out with their first-round picks from 2020-23, but since Adam Peters took over as GM in 2024, he appears to have laid a terrific foundation with his first-round picks, which include Jayden Daniels, Conerly, and Sonny Styles.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire:Washington Commanders: Josh Conerly looks much different in 2026

byAlpha World
in
May 22, 2026

Commanders OT Josh Conerly Jr. looks much different

Washington Commandersright tackle Josh Conerly Jr. had a rough start to his NFL career in 2025. After playing left tackle at Oregon, th...
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One-sentence wish for the Washington Commanders' 2026 season

Ahead of the 2025 season, theWashington Commandershad an aura of hope around the organization for the first time in a long time. After making it to the NFC Championship game in 2024, the team (and the league) had high expectations for then-second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels.

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Unfortunately, that hope was short-lived. In their Week 2 matchup against theGreen Bay Packers, the Commanders lost edge rusher Deatrich Wise Jr. and running back Austin Ekeler for the remainder of the season. Jayden Daniels injured his knee and battled injuries for the remainder of the season, and in Week 9 against theSeattle Seahawks, he sustained an injury that would keep him on the sidelines even longer. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin, for the first time in his NFL career, missed significant time with an injury.

In that Week 9 game vs. Seattle, the Commanders also lost Marshon Lattimore and Luke McCaffrey, which was essentially the proverbial nail in the coffin for the 2025 season.

We're past all of that now, though, and general manager Adam Peters has made some changes and upgrades to the roster while Dan Quinn made some coaching staff adjustments. There is still an aura of hope around this team, although in 2026 it's closer to cautious optimism than actual hope. Bleacher Report recently named aone-sentence dreamfor every NFL team, and the Commanders got a two-parter:

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Washington Commanders:Jayden Daniels recaptures the magic from his rookie season and stays healthy, while a new-look defense boosted by rookie Sonny Styles goes from liability to asset in a deep playoff run.

Technically, it's still one sentence, but the author managed to combine both offense and defense into the Commanders' wish.

Daniels is ready to recapture the magic he made in 2024. He could have done it last year had he been healthy, but injuries were a problem. So, he has to keep his positive mentality and ability to overcome adversity, but he also needs to stay healthy. Without him on the field, the offense simply isn't the same.

Defensively, there's no question that the new-look defense becomes an asset. Sonny Styles definitely gave the defense a boost, but he's not alone out there. The Commanders added several other pieces that are integral to their success, and they all have to do their part to make it happen.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire:Washington Commanders: One sentence wish for 2026 NFL season

byAlpha World
in
May 22, 2026

One-sentence wish for the Washington Commanders' 2026 season

Ahead of the 2025 season, theWashington Commandershad an aura of hope around the organization for the first time in a long time. After ...
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